Both Nahele and Kendra suddenly opened their eyes to look
upon the Spotted Kougra. Sure, a Spotted Kougra should have little or no stripes
in comparison with a normal one, but what made Rincham stand out were his markings
- three stripes along the tail, black paws, and a silver cuff rimmed with gold
on his left wrist. All of which were the traits of all the Feerall Kougras - and
the traits that every Kougra present shared. Nahele rose from his spot on the
pavilion and stood right in front of Rincham. The poor spotted Kougra barely lifted
his eyes. Nahele held all the cards. He could choose to listen to Rin's story
… or he could set the entire pride on him with one click of his fingers.
Rincham gritted his teeth and bowed his head,
preparing for the worst. But it didn't come. Instead, Nahele drew a claw and
ran it over the cuff that Rincham bore on his left wrist, reading out the inscription
- "O-Rincham, ko'u inoa." He looked back at him. "'Oia 'ea?"
"… Â 'oia …" said Rincham in response.
The Alpha Male gave Rincham a surprised look.
It wasn't often that he came across a Feerall he'd never met before, as they
were such a closely-knit family. From behind him the Halloween Kougress snarled.
He ignored her, and continued: "Another Feerall? An outsider Feerall?
Where have you been all these years?"
The Kougress could take no more, and stepped
forward, speaking in a jeering, snake-like manner. "His name is Rincham, and
he left because he," she laughed derisively, "was too weak as a fighter."
Rincham tensed his muscles, quite prepared to
fight her if worse came to worse. Memories of why he left the Feeralls in the
first place came flooding back to him. But he kept a cool composure and addressed
Nahele and Kendra instead.
"I'm not here to discuss my past, Pantheera.
I'm here to discuss our future. Everyone's future. Surely you've all felt there's
something in the air…"
The large crowd of Feeralls that had rapidly
gathered looked around at each other nervously.
"And do you know why that is? Because the Dragonmist
is going to be released!"
A ripple of anxious discussion went through
the Kougras. Suddenly the Green Kougress stepped forward to speak.
"I'll admit that something doesn't seem right
recently, but surely if the Dragonmist was under attack again, Aren would have
warned us by now."
Rincham gritted his teeth, saddened that it
was him that had to break the news to them. "I know that. Aren couldn't have
warned us, because… Aren's gone. FiskMerrick found his lair, and…"
A thousand panicked voices started talking at
once, drowning out his voice in an instant. Velvet_Pantheera and the green Kougress
tried to restore order in their own ways - with opposite approaches of aggressiveness
and gentleness. Nahele tut-tutted, drew back his head, and let out an almighty
roar that shook the apex of the trees and brought a thousand amber-coloured
eyes, wide with fear, to look at him.
"Hâmau, everyone! Hâmau! Now Rincham,
did you say something about that fiend, FiskMerrick?"
"Yes! He has assembled an army of Darkgons and
is ready to fight. He destroyed Aren, and took my owner hostage, and now the
last Kumlaa Angel_72_21 is on her way to find the Dragonmist before he does!"
Kendra stepped forward. "But how do we know
we can trust you, Rincham? You have been banished once before. How do we know
you're telling the truth?"
Rincham took the vial of Patocol Potion he had
hook with his tail and offered it to Kendra. "The last of the Patocol Potion.
The Pool was dried up when FiskMerrick attacked Aren. Aren gave this to his
sister Angel before he passed away. Also, he had a message. He said he's sorry
for ever doubting your family's love and trust, and for taking them for granted.
And who here is Keilani?"
The green Kougress stepped forward, her eyes
jewelled with tears.
"He said to tell you that he 'never hated you
as much as he made out'."
Keilani gave a shudder, and tears suddenly began
to spill down her face. She turned to the alphas, her eyes sparkling with tears
of sincerity. "That's exactly the kind of thing Aren would have said."
The Island Kougra raised his voice slightly,
but could not mask the quaver of fear that affected his speech. "Your evidence
seems… substantial. But why come to us?"
"Is the fact that I came back proof enough?
The problem is serious enough for me to return, despite any scorn I may receive,
to beg for your help, Nahele and Kendra. You've fought the Darkgons once before.
You all know their fighting techniques, their strengths and their weaknesses.
Right now there's only one Eyriess against a whole army of Skeiths, but with
your help we could win this battle. You're our last hope."
Silence swept over the Kougras like a wisp of
a ghost. He had a point. Very few knew the real extent that people like the
Kumlaa Clan went through to ensure their secret was kept safe - they even laid
down all their lives. Even Aren, a great friend to the Feeralls. If they didn't
help his sister - the last Kumlaa - then his sacrifice would be in vain, and
it could mean the end of Neopia …
Nahele took this into consideration, and walked
past Rincham to stand before his pride to deliver a speech:
"We have all known something was wrong. From
the first time one of us felt the west breeze dampen our spirits until today,
when a stranger came and broke to us the news we had all dreaded. One of our
kind is gone. Felled in the eternal battle between the Darkgons and Kumlaas.
But this isn't just the Kumlaas' battle. Those Eyries served as a symbol of
all who struggle against evil. Of all who defend virtue and will not give in
to iniquity. Many years ago we fought alongside these Eyries, and our morals
with regards to goodness have never changed. Now, once again, we are faced with
the choice of helping our colleagues … and I for one am willing to take up Rincham's
offer. We cannot sit by and watch this Eyriess risk her life alone for virtue,
and for all of us. So who's with me?"
The crowd of Kougras erupted with cheering and
support for Nahele's plan. Never before had so huge a group of pets been so
united in their hatred for FiskMerrick and their love for Aren, Angel and for
integrity. Rincham felt himself brimming with pride - the Feeralls had never
accepted any of his plans so readily. In fact, since his banishment, this was
the warmest they had ever been to him.
"Prepare yourselves for battle!" yelled Nahele.
"Justice must be served! Aren's loss will not be in vain! We meet at the mountainside
in half an hour."
Suddenly, someone yanked the collar of Rincham's
brown cloak and dragged him so he was to face-to-face with her - the Halloween
Kougress, Velvet_Pantheera.
"You're going to regret ever returning, Rincham,"
she snarled. "I thought you were smarter than that. Now I can finally expose
you for the weakling you --"
"Any trouble over here?" Nahele stood between
the two, glaring daggers at Pantheera.
The Kougress forced herself to shake her head,
the corner of her mouth twitching with anger.
"Listen, Rincham, we're going to need your help
if this attack is going to work. Regardless of what you might have done to get
you banished…" he added, glaring at Pantheera as he led Rincham towards the
war tent.
"… Lapuwale…" she muttered, before slinking
off to watch the action from the treetops…
~*~*~*~
In the last few minutes the wind had died down considerably as Angel neared
the cave, allowing for her to move more easily. It seemed like even the wind
and rain were on her side - of course, in effect, everyone except FiskMerrick
and the Darkgons were on her side. No one wanted evil to triumph. Even the elements.
But friends - as far as Angel was concerned - were few and sparse, and friends
were all she had left in the world. That's why she was so grateful of *Bleeper*'s
company. Without him, she'd be alone in the world.
Therefore, halfway up a mountain on the outskirts
of a valley, on a small island in the middle of Neopia, a young Eyrie and her
pet Avabot took their first step in changing the fates of Neopians everywhere.
Upon arriving at the mountain ledge where she'd seen that glimmer of light,
the first impression she received was of a stale, musty place that hadn't been
touched in years. Like a communal taboo - no one ever went near the place, and
no one had done for many years. Until now, of course.
Angel felt the pang of fear hit her like a ton
of bricks. The small cavern was pitch black inside, and the wind howling past
the hollow shell made the most awful sound of a monster's sluggish roar. It
was like entering the lair of some kind of horrible beast. Angel shuddered,
her feet rooted to the spot, waging a heated debate in her own mind on whether
to risk entering the cave. But the awareness of *Bleeper* rubbing himself catlike
against her foot brought her to her senses, and - drawing in a deep breath -
she stepped into the darkness.
Nothing.
There was nothing here. Nothing that could have
caused the glint of light she had seen. Angel snarled in rage and kicked the
wall, and as she did so, disturbed a line of wooden pots that had been strung
up beside a small hole in the wall that could have been perceived as a window.
Sheets of fungus, disturbed by the sudden unpredictability of life, floated
down to the ground, reminding Angel of the first time she entered Aren's cave.
She had come here for a reason. Something had drawn her here, and she could
feel deep within her very being that there was something here. So she waited.
For a few minutes she waited. It gave her time
to reflect on things at least. Every second she spent within the cave was torture.
Her connection with … with … something, within the cave ran off on two threads.
On one paw she could feel the immense evil that ran through every nook and every
vein of the cave. The gut-wrenching, primal sense of deep inner fear that drove
all life from this place. But on the other paw there was a definite bond between
her and whatever was there. Well, between her family and the whatever-it-was
at least. A bond that ran so deep that they were willing to risk their lives
to protect it from invaders … or invaders from it.
Though it was barely noticeable, the cavern
started to darken as the mid-afternoon sun hid itself behind a cloud, and a
gentle breeze began to pick up. Gradually the wind spilled over into the cave
and wisped hauntingly around Angel, knocking the wooden pots into a regular
rhythm and tempo. *Bleeper* quivered and hid behind her leg, sensing something
was wrong. A deep, trembling sense of evil swept through the place once again
like a whisper, and Angel started to tremble herself. That is, until the intuition
of recognition hit her, and she became suddenly very calm.
It wasn't the evil that she recognised. Never.
She was too pure to have ever experienced iniquity to this degree. It was a
sound. The wooden pots that hung above her head were beating a song that struck
a cord in the back of her mind.
She suddenly felt herself being taken back to
a memory of her childhood. But it wasn't when she was with the Kumlaas, as she
might have expected. Nor even with the Acara family at Sparklestream Creek.
It was as a youngster, curled up in her owner's arms as she sang a gentle lullaby
to send her to sleep. What significance this entailed Angel could not tell,
but she had nothing to lose. So with a cough she cleared her throat, and sang
the song to the best of her recollection:
"Across the land and turning tide
"And over meadows green,
"There is a land where souls confide
"The essence of a dream.
"Where the wild cats play and the catbirds sing
"And the land ne'er meets the sea.
"It is here where the guardians hitherto watch
"Of what was, and what still is to be.
"When the legends combine and the evils arise
"And the darkness of hearts becomes lore,
"A protector will come and fly into the skies
"And the evil shall soon be no more.
"On this scene so serene, we lest must abide,
"Where the leopards and catbirds roam,
"I tell you with pride that I'll be by your side,
"My child, my one, and my own."
The whisper of the wind floating past her ear
brought Angel quickly to her senses, and she shook her head absently, scorning
herself for such childish behaviour. She clucked her tongue, motioning for *Bleeper*
to follow, and turned towards the door. One step. Two steps towards the door.
Angel's head drooped, admittedly a little disappointed by theses revelations,
and as she did so something caught her eye. A small stone beside her right paw
jolted, and stood still. She blinked. The stone trembled again, for a few seconds
this time. Angel looked around. More stones, all over the cavern, were beginning
to shake and quiver as waves of tremors swept through the cavern. But no rocks
were falling from the ceiling. Either way, Angel stayed rooted to the spot,
unable to move.
She watched as the rocks in the walls shook
and parted from themselves, creating a kind of split in the cavern. *Bleeper*
cowered behind her, squeaking wildly before the sound of rumbling stone and
gravel drowned him out. Angel braced herself for impact, squinting through half-closed
eyes at the diminishing cavern wall. Then there it was. In plain sight. Emitting
an aura of both terrible power and magnificent evil that made the young Eyriess
step back a few paces and shield her head with a wing.
The Dragonmist.
Author's Note: A groundbreaking discovery, I know. But is it just too good
to be true?
I love to know the audience's opinions on my stories, so if you have any
compliments, criticisms, whatnot, send
'em on in!
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